News and Notes, Volume 11, Number 9

Dr. Bert Lyle, an important figure in the early years of women’s collegiate athletics and Olympic Team coach passed away on Wednesday at the age of 83.

Lyle was the head track & field coach and director of athletics at Texas Woman’s University from 1965 to 1982, and lead his teams to numerous championships. He then went on to serve as the women’s sprint and relay coach for the U.S. Olympic Team at the 1992 Barcelona Games. During his career, Lyle also served as the U.S. Olympic Sprint Development Committee Chair, the USATF Women’s Elite Sprint Coordinator, and the USATF Junior Development Committee Chair for sprints.

In 2005, Lyle was presented with USA Track & Field’s Giegengack Award for outstanding contributions to the development and success of USA Track & Field, and the larger community of the sport. USATF again honored Lyle in 2007 with the Heliodoro and Patricia Rico Lifetime Achievement Award. In December 2010, Lyle was inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Lyle was born in Tupelo, Miss., and was an U.S. Air Force veteran who served in the Korean War. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University, his master’s degree from Southern Methodist University, and his Ph.,D. from the University of Texas. Since his retirement from TWU in 1988, he made his home in Denton, Texas with his wife Pris, and continued for many years to be a key player in the science of sprinting and hurdling.

Sprinters successful in Daegu

Running on the same track that will host the IAAF World Championships later this summer, many of the top American sprinters did not let the cold weather stand in their way of the podium at the Colorful Daegu Pre-Championships Meet.

Allyson Felix set a meet record in the 200m in a winning time of 22.38, and Connie Moore took the runner-up spot in 23.16. Dawn Harper lead a trio of Americans to sweep the 100m hurdles. Harper won in 12.73, followed by Kellie Wells in 12.81, and Lolo Jones in 12.95.

With six Americans facing off with two Koreans in the men’s 400m hurdles, the USA swept the podium with Johnny Dutch winning in 49.03. Dutch outran World Champion Bershawn Jackson (49.14) and Olympic Champion Angelo Taylor (49.67). In the 110m hurdles, David Oliver ran to a victory in a world-leading time of 13.14, with Aries Merritt taking second in 13.30.

Walter Dix clocked 10-seconds flat for the win in the men’s 100m, followed by Mike Rodgers in 2nd (10.03).

Other winning performances came from Carmelita Jeter in the 100m (11.09) and Funmi Jimoh in the long jump (6.52m).

Team USA is sending three men and three women to compete in the NACAC Combined Events Championships that will be held May 27-28 in Kingston, Jamaica.

The men’s squad includes Joe Detmer, who won the men’s decathlon at the 2010 Thorpe Cup in personal best of 8,090 points, Chris Helwick who boasts a PR of 8,143 and Chris Randolph with a best of 8,066.

The women’s team is headlined by Olympian Sharon Day who has a best score of 6,177 points. The trio also includes two members of the winning team from the 2010 Thorpe Cup, Kasey Hill and Emily Pearson.

For more information on the NACAC Combined Events Championships, visit here.